The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Fluid assays are used for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to biological screenings and environmental assessments. Often, particles (sometimes known as “beads” or “microspheres”) are used in fluid assays to aid in the detection of analytes of interest within a sample. In particular, these particles provide a substrate for carrying reagents configured to react with analytes of interest within a sample such that the analytes may be detected. In many cases, magnetic materials are incorporated into particles such that the particles may be immobilized by magnetic fields during the preparation and/or analysis of a fluid assay. In particular, particles may be immobilized during an assay preparation process such that excess reagents and/or reactionary byproducts superfluous to the impending assay may be removed. In addition or alternatively, particles may be immobilized during analysis of a fluid assay such that data relating to analytes of interest in the assay may be collected from a fixed object.
Immobilization is typically performed for only a fraction of the time used to prepare or analyze an assay such that the particles may be allowed to be suspended in or allowed to flow with the assay. In addition, the immobilization may be performed once or multiple times during the preparation or analysis of a fluid assay depending on the specifications of the process. For such reasons, it is generally necessary to intermittently introduce and retract a magnetic actuator in the vicinity of a vessel comprising the magnetic particles. In some cases, however, the inclusion of a magnetic actuation device within a fluid assay system may complicate the design of the system, particularly hindering the ability to introduce assay/sample/reagent plates and/or vessels into the system.